Chasing Time
by ShadowDame
Summary: There wasn't enough time to save her lover from Diablo's possession. Now there's wasn't enough time to stop him in his tracks. She needed time, and that was what she didn't have when she knocks into 2 incompetant 'heros'
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

AN: I have never _ever_ wrote a fanfic before. So this is my first. Hope you'll like it Please R&R! (I'll give you a cookie)

Euryleia breathed a sigh of frustration. She'd been strolling for hours and all she'd seen was irritating foul creatures. There had got to be a place for her to camp for the night, and restock on her empty bag.

Her boot sloshed against the mud. This environment was horrible; it rained way too much for her liking. But perhaps, Athulua, Amazon's God of weather, wanted her to be rid of demon's blood.

She squinted against the dark, trying to make out whatever that was ahead of her. Lights shivered in the cold mists. Either it was a place for people, or a place for little irritating Fallens. Well she, for good _or_ bad, decided to try her luck.

She crouched low, her bow in hand and arrows stretched. Her foot tapped lightly against the wet ground. Euryleia placed her bow in front of her, and stepped out of the bushes, just as an arrow came flying at her, she released hers and sidestepped the other.

"Intruders!" one of the shadows shouted in the night.

Definitely human, but apparently, she did not welcome her. She stepped out into the light with another arrow ready for assault. "I come without harm."

"State your business." the light shimmered as the shadows spoke in union.

"I come here to seek refuge for the night," Euryleia answered, her eyes sweeping around her. She spun around just as she heard a little voice "Mummy."

A little girl dressed in a dirtied white dress clutched onto a scantily dressed woman, who was facing her with an arrow in threat. But it wasn't that that had caught her attention, but the sudden glint in the dark just as a skeleton raised his mace.

Euryleia immediately released her arrow at the real intruder. But the girl's mother, unknowingly thought that she was aiming for her daughter, shot her. She never saw it coming; least expected it. The skeleton shattered as the arrow drove harshly into its ribs just as her bone fractured as an arrow drove into her shoulder.

The two rouges guarding the entrance to the encampment, who were unaware of the situation, let loose their arrows. But this time, she dodged. The arrow flew past her head as she stepped back at the girl's scream.

The darkness had caused her the pain, but now she thanked it. Euryleia spun and ran but one managed a few steps before something slammed hard against the back of her thigh. She fell on one of her knees on the impact and whined at the pain gathered at her knees.

"Stop!" a woman cried. Unsure whether she was crying for her or them to stop, she stood up and ran on. She didn't want to take any risk anymore. Look where it landed her.

Xavier bolted out of he entrance. "What's happening?"

"An intruder-" one of the rouges reported, before another older one cut in. "A mistake! She wasn't aiming at Sally at all; there was a-a skeleton behind her. It was all a mistake!"

The woman, cuddled her child while speaking, trying to sooth away all the silly fears – of the child and her own. "Now we've injured her. She'll be vulnerable against the enemy..."

"I'll find her." Xavier started.

"But-" But Xavier had already left, and no one had enough time to warn him how Amazons dislike men.

He wadded through the floor, following the heavy footsteps in the mud. He turned at the corner and stared through the bushes in amusement and half concern. She sat against a tree trunk, her chest rising and falling with short, ragged breaths due to pain. Her bow laid silently beside her, as the arrow that had stuck in her thigh sat comfortably in her hand, soaked with her own blood.

The floor beneath her was a blood red, and her wound had not stopped bleeding. Xavier watched as the Amazon stretched out her uninjured leg and lean back, fumbling with her bag and cursing when she came up with nothing.

And without warning the arrow previously in her hand flew towards him. Landing stuck in a tree's bark. "No use staying there"

Amusement stayed in his eyes, but the concern lifted away. Apparently she was still in good shape, or at least still haughty enough to survive. "I was just thinking you might need help." Well, she sure _looked_ like it enough though she didn't act like it.

Xavier walked out and deliberately kicked her quiver of arrows out of range. "You-"

"Don't act tough," he interrupted, in a bored tone, which was least of his fears. She doesn't seem dull, at all. "Don't make this hard for both of us."

"This is none of your business, _paladin_." the Amazon hissed.

Xavier drew his sword and placed it at her neck. "Stand up and follow me..."

She looked up with distaste. Her hand gripped her bow, but she had no arrows, unless the one embedded deeply within her counted. And it did.

Her hand pulled the arrow how and it flew past his head, not enough to injure but enough to distract him. She stood up and scuttled to her quiver of arrows. She fell on her knees and pulled one out, then turned to face him, with the demons of hell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Demons of the hell all right, right behind her. She sensed its presence, the evil that shrouded it lightly, but there, very close. She spun around and only heard its cackle before something landed on her injured shoulder. White light burst into her head, then darkness claimed her. "Euryleia..."

"Leonard?" ... "Leonard!"

* * *

Xavier stepped forward and drove his sword into the small red coward. "Depart," He sheathed his sword, bent down and scooped her up. He picked up her bow and slung it on his shoulder, then set foot towards the Rouge Entercamp. His Prayer Aura kicked up, but only just enough to stop her wounds from bleeding so much.

"Move aside," he barked at the Rouges standing guard at the entrance. "Call Akara!" he ordered some others aside, staring curiously at him, or more precisely, the Amazon in his arms. He pushed into his tent and laid her on his bed, giving only a cursory glance at the blood she was dripping onto his bed, before sweeping out again. "Get A-"

"Shush, I heard." Akara bent down and walked into the small coverage, and pushed her hood back. "Oh my." she examined the shoulder wound. "The rouges are capable of this?"

He let out a short shout of laughter. "Partially." he shot the Amazon a look before continuing, "If she didn't pull it out like that... And yeah, one more blow to the shoulder by a miserable Fallen."

"Leave her to me, I could use your tent for quite a while," Akara pulled her hood over her head once again. "Go out and have a drink with Warriv. Find Paige on our way for me too." the soft-spoken woman had a way with words. Orders veiled behind kind requests.

He exited the tent after setting down her bow and removing some pieces of his heavier armoury. Xavier looked down at the stranger, with her brows knitted together in pain and her shock of what used to be golden blonde, now a dirty brown. "Akara would take care of you; I'll want to know your name by nightfall, Amazon."

* * *

"Euryleia..."

"Leonard?" Euryleia's eyes fluttered open. Her mind recognized the brown ceiling as a tent's. She bolted upright then doubled back in pain. Her hand gripped her shoulder instinctively in attempt to subdue the inconvenience.

"Don't touch it," Xavier entered the tent and threw the plate of barbecued quill rats on the table before advancing on her. "Akara spent a long time mending those cracks." He folded his arms proudly.

"Tch-" Euryleia swung her legs on to the ground and gritted her teeth, the movement not lost by the paladin. "Give me my bow and belongings before I kill you," she stood, trying to make her threat look real. But her vision blurred, her arms throbbed and her legs turned wobbly. Xavier reached out and gripped her arm before she could react, dodge _and_ fall.

"You-" was all Euryleia could say before he pushed her back onto the bed not-too-gently and had her turn another shade of white. "You have no rights, Paladin."

Xavier ignored her and pushed the plate of meat into her face. "Eat," then he stalked out to join Warriv beside the fire again.

"What's the matter?" he heard Kashya's usual stern voice shout out.

"A-a scream..." a rouge answered stumblingly. "Ema ran..."

"No one runs! I ordered you _all_ to petrol in _pairs_!"

"I-I"

"There's no use arguing over it," Xavier interrupted. "Where?" he directed the question towards the panting rouge.

"T-The Cold Plains."

He ran towards the waypoint and teleported there. A scream disrupted the still, cold air. Xavier pushed through the bushes and the leaves. A petite girl stood, staff against her chest, and right in front of her was headless rouge.

"How many more women must I save?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_AN: Chapter 3 Sorry, I know the front parts are real boring... but I don't like to skip. Hey, least there's some actions here! So bear with me kkz? I love your comments, please R&R_

The Lancer pulled her spear back to prepare another blow to the trembling sorceress and it clashed right into Xavier's sword when he burst out of the bushes immediately.

He parried the thrust with swift experience and directed a kick at the demon's abdomen. It flew back just enough for him to step forward and slash off its head and the body jerked once before it fell eternally.

He glanced back at the girl. "Are you alright?" he asked, overly concerned over her shade of colour.

She managed a weak nod, before planting her staff on the ground to keep her standing. "Meidi," she gulped once "Thanks you, Paladin."

Xavier sheathed his sword before smiling at her when she pulled her glance away from the ground. "You're welcome. I'm Xavier." He looked back when he heard the sound of foots trampling the ground. The demons smelt blood; it was time to leave.

"Let's go." He ran forward and gripped Meidi's elbow firmly, steering her towards the waypoint. He pulled her within the ancient drawing and stepped on the first button he saw from the North.

When they landed on Rogue Entercamp, he could only see Meidi's greenish face before the limp body of a rogue dropped in front of them, from behind the wagon. He ran forward, and killed a skeleton he saw before turning his attention to the girl. Xavier felt her pulse, beating weakly. "She's not dead, bring her to Akara."

He helped Meidi lift the woman onto her back and pushed her in the direction of Akara's tent. Xavier himself ran in the opposite direction, not forgetting about the stubborn Amazon who clearly is in no position to fight.

* * *

Euryleia could hear the screams and sounds of battles engaging through the cloth door. She couldn't just sit here and pretend nothing was happening. 'Gosh,' she managed to choke out, when she tried to push herself off the bed - too much strain on her shoulder.

She stood, but almost fell forward before she propped herself against the table. She moved a few steps forward slowly and picked up her bow and exited the tent. She was supposed to lie against it for support before she heard the cry of a little child. "Mummy!" the same girl that had caused her injuries.

And the same girl was in jeopardy, Euryleia watched a skeleton lifted his bow and stretched it with precision. It would offend all her senses of responsibility if she just forsakes the girl.

Euryleia pushed herself forward before falling beside the girl, gripping her arm, igniting another cry from the child. She could see the arrow flying towards them and the girl was pulling back with equal force from fear. She'd never save her in time.

Her bone shattered, again, when the arrow locked into her shoulder, this time from her back, when she used her upper body to block the child. She fell onto the girl, causing the girl to collapse onto the floor too.

Euryleia could hear the girl cry out, this time not from fear but from realization, and also the arrow sticking out from her back. Euryleia pried open her own eyes enough to see the ground. Her teeth refused to part, making it hard for her to talk. "Got a weapon, girl?"

The child pulled a dagger from under her dress. Euryleia almost laughed, despite the pain. So it was true that Rogues were almost like Amazons. Every child would have learnt what a weapon was before they learned to talk. She picked the dagger from the child's finger and turned around just in time for another arrow to go sailing past her. She threw the dagger at the skeleton and it shattered into a million pieces.

"Get me the arrows." Euryleia ordered, without looking behind, still trying to catch her breath, sitting forward. The child let go reluctantly, and Euryleia almost sighed at the lack of support. Using her other hand to prop herself up, she waited, till the quiver of arrows the child stole from the dead skeleton archer materialised in front of her face.

She took it, and strapped it on, before trying to stand, with the help of the child, and arranging herself to lie against the stone bricks. "Get into the tent. _Now._" She ordered and added when she felt the girl resist then reluctantly let go of her arm, probably realizing she'd be more of a trouble than help.

Euryleia tried to ignore the pain that seared through her shoulder and lifted her bow. One after another, with excruciatingly long pauses, she took off the skeletons at came across her path. Each arrows that flew off to hit the demons, seemed to be flying back at her shoulder. She gritted her teeth in pain.

It was when her vision blurred that she saw someone she found terribly familiar. The paladin, as he backed off from a skeleton's offence. He parried the thrust directed at him and countered with both experience and premeditated strength. But he didn't see the other skeleton that was advancing at him from his back.

She lifted the bow and let the arrow take wing. It pierced through the air like it was nothing, and settled itself between the skeleton's spine, just a second before it shattered. Euryleia saw him turn around and looked at her with surprise.

Like her Leonard had done many times before. She smiled. Her Leonard, always hers... However, he'd left her, for power; he had left her, and their love. _Leonard..._Her world twirled happily on its axis. Then it blacked out in pain. But it turned bright again, in the darkness a candle glowed. Her Leonard was back again, calling out to her in the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It didn't feel as if she was with her one true love. In fact, it felt as if it was just the opposite. She highly suspected some Fallens had captured her and they were doing some tribal dance of whacking their clubs on her head.

Maybe they had sealed her eyes with some tree sap and bee's wax. Maybe they also had bound her arms to the floor, impairing her movements. Or maybe she was just dead.

She sure hoped so, even as she pealed her eyes open, and slowly tried to regain her other senses. Her ear started to hear sounds, of people crying and soothing talks. Her skin began to awaken, as her body started to ache as if she really had been danced on. There was something she couldn't quite get back – the feel of her hands.

Or rather, her shoulder and down, just the left.

She could see the blurred out picture of the top of a tent and the sound of wailings was starting to get louder. Not that it was a good thing, even if it told her that her senses were still ok, it made her head throb more.

She tried to move her left arm, all it did was twitch. She tried even harder but it felt like it didn't budge an inch. 'God damn it' she muttered before pushing herself with her right arm.

A black head popped up from the movement. First groggy, then at full alert. Her head bounced up and she exclaimed, "It's unwise to try and sit! You should lie down!" She wanted to force her down by the shoulders, but then she stopped. Euryleia saw her gulp, clutching her own hands to her breasts, staring intently at her shoulders.

"Really, you have your shoulder; Akara is just trying to make it better." The paladin appeared from the doorway. "She just numbed it so you won't feel the pain."

On instinct, Euryleia reached out to grasp her own shoulder. But the girl reached out and grabbed her hand. Euryleia pulled back and almost slapped her. A Shiver Armour appeared as the Sorceress pulled back, afraid.

"Look carefully." The Paladin advised.

Euryleia looked at her shoulder. At first she didn't see anything, since she couldn't move it for a better angle, but then she caught the gulping head of something leeched onto her shoulder. "Hell."

Xavier stepped forward and gripped her moveable hand before she could reach out and pull the Sehceel off. She twisted her arm in his grip. "Get that thing off me!"

"You have to let it heal, or you won't be able to fight, Amazon."

"I don't like the feeling of having a Sehceel on me, sucking my blood"

The two of them were like Tigers, baring their teeth at each other, intimidating the other to give up. Meidi was at a lost, looking between them right to left, not knowing what to do.

In her sudden loss and confusion, Meidi started to cry. For whatever stupid reason it was that she was just afraid that these two will draw their swords, it worked. It kept _both_ the paladin and the Amazon's attention to her wails.

"I-I'm s-sorry" She apologized between hiccups. "My mother used to use this a lot, so I suggested it to Akara, thinking it would help you. B-but"

Xavier was about to comfort her before the Amazon shot in. She made a sound of frustration that had Meidi and him looking at her. "Gee, ok! Ok! I get it. I hate when girls cry." Suddenly, she really sounded like a man. "I'll heal myself ok? Get out or something. Shoo!"

After they had left her in the tent along, she fingered the bow lying next to her. She had got this Windforce by herself when she had journeyed with Leonard. She smiled, remembering how he complained that she had got the best bow he'd ever seen while he was till using a lousy sword.

Alcippe looked from the corner of the long tent that held hostage all the injured people. She herself had got slashed by an undead and the poison was just too strong. She watched as the Amazon's green eyes turned dark with shadows of painful memories just as the smile on her face stiffen like a paste on feature.

Toying with the empty bottle of bitter black antidote she just drank, she moved to the Amazon. "Hey." When the woman responded by looking back at her sceptically, "Are you alright? You look sad."

The shadows faded and the emerald in her eye glittered with arrogance. "Of course I am alright."

Alcippe smiled. Amazon's pride definitely rivalled that of theirs, if not only their skills. Then she remembered the woman's bravery and the cause of her injury and sobered immediately. She stared at the Sehceel on the Amazon and wondered if she'll ever heal. "We the Sisters of the Sightless Eye wishes to apologise for our unruly welcome, Amazon. Moreover, we are thankful of your aid despite our hostility."

Euryleia looked surprised for a second, and recovered. She grunted and stared at the bow, wondering how long it would take before she would be able to pick it up again. "It was just my luck," she commented.

Alcippe hitched herself onto the table and smiled at the Amazon. "We have yet had the honour of knowing your name, Hero."

"Euryleia, what's yours Rogue?"

"I'm Alcippe, you can always call me Al."

"The name of a hero," Euryleia looked at the woman on the table, with her brown hair and hazel eyes. "You Rogues even name people like us."

"Hero?" Al got off the table.

"Alcippe was one of Hippolyte's Amazon; the ninth and last Amazon to die by Herakle's hand." Euryleia gave a small smile. "A martyr."

"Al!" Another Rogue rushed in and bowed towards Euryleia before whispering to Al and taking off with her. The Amazon was alone again, as always, left alone again. She supposed it was a good thing, with all the sobbing and crying from outside the tent, she was unsure she wanted company. The others would be happier with it.

But it was hard being alone, even if it was destined. She was forever chasing a shadow. Maybe her mother knew her destiny, which was why the Gods named her Euryleia, the "Woman Wanderer".

She wasn't always alone. In fact, she had Leonard, right until he left her. They had fought together, striving through the forsaken land. The amount of experience they had together was not enough. If only, she had been closer to him, he wouldn't take Diablo's soulstone. He wouldn't have stuck it into himself.

Was it because of temptation? Or merely a challenge to himself, to try and keep the demon within the stone? All she knew was that he begun to lose himself, the moment he stuck that evil within thy self.

Her voice could not reach him; her love could not be felt. That was evil, in itself. He never joined in the celebration of Diablo's defeat. He would often wander off out of town till she found him and brought him back. He would spend time just staring off to space and talk to himself. She knew when she looked at him, that he was losing.

But she never said anything, just silently prayed that he would wake up and come back to her again. She hoped, hope until the day he raised his sword at her. Until today, she wondered if she should thank his love for her, or that he was simply too weak to hold his sword.

He had fractured her skull, and she woke up in God knows where. She didn't think, didn't need to, and just tracked the weak lumbering steps of the woman she loved. She, as a Hero, failed her job. What had happened to the Townsfolk, she did not know, and she did not care.

But what of Deckard Cain? Has even the last of the Horadrim been erased?


End file.
